This will continue to be debated and analyzed for days, but my first thought was, “good for Obama.” If you go looking for things to criticize in his six-minute statement, you’ll no doubt find them, but he clearly intended to reduce tension, and I suspect he’ll succeed. I give the man props for talking with Sergeant Crowley.

The president said, “to the extent that my choice of words didn’t illuminate, but rather contributed to more media frenzy, I think that was unfortunate.” You can call that a non-apology apology, but to me it sounded like contrition.